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John Cardinal Onaiyekan on Tuesday formally bowed out as the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja and handed over to his successor, Ignatius Kaigama.
Onaiyekan, who handed over at a press conference in Abuja, said that Kaigama would be formally inaugurated on Thursday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the Pope recently accepted the retirement of Cardinal Onaiyekan, who clocked the retirement age of 75 on Jan. 29, 2019.
NAN also reports that Archbishop Kaigama was announced by the Pope, through Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi, as Onaiyekan’s successor, on March 11.
The announcement coincided with the opening ceremony of the first plenary meeting of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN).
Filipazzi had named Kaigama as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Abuja and administrator of Jos archdiocese, where he served as its chief Shepherd in the last 19 years.
Speaking during the conference, Onaiyekan assured Nigerians that he wouldn’t retire from speaking against all forms of oppression in the country, until social justice was achieved for all citizens.
Onaiyekan, who formally retired from his role as the episcopal leader of the Catholic Church in FCT, Kogi, Nasarawa, and Benue States, after 25 years, urged political leaders to prioritise social justice.
He said that government must achieve equity, if the nation must make progress.
“I am confident in the abilities of my successor to lead the Archdiocese to the next level of development.
”There were no elections to determine who will succeed me. There were no campaigning and lobbying. His (Kaigama) appointment was simply in line with the Church practice,” he said.
Archbishop of Abuja province, Most Rev Ignatius Kaigama, noted that many things had gone wrong in Nigeria, but vowed to wage serious war against the social ills and vices impeding the development of the country.
“We are the hope of Nigeria. So many things have gone wrong, but we cannot just sit and say prayers.
”We have to go beyond prayers, because faith and action go together. We have to mobilise our people to be integrated and work genuinely for the progress of Nigeria and the happiness of our people.
“I am not going to be hunting for problems, but when they come, I will do my best to tackle them with my priestly character and identity.
‘”I will not be idle. I will always be doing something for Church and country, attacking ills, social vices, and anything that will not be helpful to the development of Nigeria,” he said.
Kaigama said that despite the government’s promise to tackle graft among public office holders, the menace had failed to give way for probity and accountability,
”If there wasn’t corruption, there would have been an equitable distribution of resources and our people will be living well above the poverty line,” he added.(NAN)

A brace from Marcus Rashford made sure Jose Mourinho’s return to Old Trafford ended in defeat as Manchester United beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 on Wednesday night, Premier League.

Going into the game United had failed to win its last three games in all competitions, while Spurs had won their last three since Mourinho replaced Maurizio Pochettino.

United took the lead in the sixth minute through Rashford who in from a tight angle.

Spurs were back on level terms as Alli produced a brilliant bit of skill, raising the ball over his marker inside the box before slotting it past David De Gea.

In the 49th minute, United went 2-1 up as Rashford struck again this time from the penalty spot after he was fouled by Moussa Sissoko.

The win moves United to sixth on 21 points in the league table while Spurs are eight on 20 points.

At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea ended their winless run with a hard-fought 2-1 win against Aston Villa.

Tammy Abraham and Mason scored in either half to halt Chelsea’s run of three consecutive games without a win in all competitions.

Villa’s goal was scored by Trezeguet late in the first half.

Abraham broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute after heading in a cross but Trezeguet equalized for Villa on 41 minutes as he bundled in a cross into the back of the net.

But three minutes into the second half, Mount scored what proved to be the winner following a well-taken strike.

And at the King Power Stadium, Leicester continued their impressive run of form as they beat struggling Watford 2-0.

The win saw Leicester return to second on the log on 35 points with Watford rooted to the bottom of the standing.

Vardy put Leicester 1-0 ahead on 55 minutes from the penalty spot before Maddison sealed the win in the 90th minute.

In other games played Southampton climbed out of the relegation zone thanks to their 2-1 home win against Norwich City and Wolverhampton Wanderers beat West Ham 2-1.

That accidents do happen is a fact we cannot deny but when a pattern of mishap keeps recurring then such (accidents) should not be treated with levity especially when the losses of lives and properties are involved. Between the 27th of June, 2018 when a petrol tanker caused an inferno on Otedola bridge in Lagos and the 14th of November, 2019 when another petrol tanker-related accident led to the death of two persons with some others receiving various degrees of burns along Lagos-Abeokuta Express Way, there have been twenty-three reported cases of petrol tanker-related infernos across different states of the Federation - which means twenty-three petrol tanker-related accidents with more than 200 deaths and properties worth billions of naira destroyed in the space of 17 months. Lives have been lost, individuals have been maimed and many persons have lost their properties, as well as, businesses they have laboured to build over the course of time.

Among these unfortunate events; the ones that happened on Otedola bridge, the Benue incident of July 1, 2018, Odukpani incident of January 11, 2019 and that which resulted in fire gutting the Ochanja market in Onitsha appeared to have wreaked the most profound damages - not that the others are less relevant by the way.

However, as these tragic turns of event kept unfolding, we are yet to see or hear of any concrete inquisition made into the matters; pertinent questions/issues regarding the accidents are yet to the addressed. Could it be down to bad road networks, careless driving or faulty vehicle? Plus, there is a high likelihood that these tankers are made to load quantities of petroleum products that exceeded the stipulated carrying capacity - but how can this be corrected when there is no proper monitoring in place? These accidents come about and up next are the ensuing lamentations which only last for a while and life goes on as usual without those who ought to dig deep into the matter, in order to curtail this unpleasant situation, going to sleep or resting on their oars. And then people are left to put up with a ticking time-bomb [of a tanker] that endangers their lives as they ply the roads.

Shouldn’t there be sanctions?
One cannot fail to acknowledge that most of these accidents are caused by mechanical faulty which was left uncorrected in the tanker. So, in essence, why should a company that had failed, in its responsibility, to do the necessary checks on its vehicle be allowed to go off the hook and keep doing business without measures to ensure that the management puts its house in order. More so, should these companies not be made to pay for the losses that amounted from the infernos caused by their tankers? It has fast become a norm to see people lost their loved ones and properties due to the carelessness/negligence of certain individuals or companies without any form of justice being served.

A number of persons have been canvassing for establishing alternative means of haulage of petroleum products across the states in the Federation. While we look towards the actualization of such initiatives, it is vital that regulatory agencies [like the FRSC] set safety standards with the view of having these petrol distribution companies [that put their trucks on the road] comply with the laid-down standard; failure to adhere should eventually lead to the forfeiture of their operating licence.

Again, I wonder if there is a functional agency that is responsible for checking the conditions of petrol carrying trucks, as well as, the mental and physical fitfulness of the drivers employed to steer the wheels of these vehicles. There is an urgent call on the doors of those at the appropriate quarters to take the right actions towards ensuring the reduction of petrol tanker-related accidents on our highways. The days of sitting back and folding of hands should long be over by now.

Social media platforms have evolved from being a web-space where folks look to have a reunion with some old pals into a tool for commerce and raising public awareness over certain ills noticeable within an area of occupancy or influence. Even more indulgent is how these platforms are now being used as vehicles for propagating fake news and propaganda. In the view of all these, one would not be wrong to conclude that the social media space accommodates the good, the bad and the ugly, and since there are many ‘innocent souls‘ that could get easily swayed or affected by the bad/ugly sides of it, it may be incumbent to find a means of taming the scourge before it turns into a monster.

On the periphery, the social media bill is fashioned to help check the activities of those who are out to use social media platforms to gratify some heinous desires particularly as it concerns the spread of fake [and misleading] news - something aimed at restoring the sanctity of journalism, the ‘simple‘ may say.

But Nigerians know better
However, scrutinizing the bill further and deeply, one cannot but have a feeling that there is more than meet the eyes particularly in the context of a Nigerian nation where transparency among the very group pushing for the implementation of this bill is often sacrificed on the altar of sentiments, and justice is made to wear a coat of many colours - plus, as we already know, corruption among this lot remains ill-addressed.

So, Nigerians know much better about what this group of individuals, who appear to be bent on safe-keeping their ‘royal estates‘, are capable of hence they (that is, Nigerians) will always find it hard to trust a bill that is tilted towards infringing on their freedom of speech/expression. More so, the Nigerian system is yet to be purged of a host of social anomalies that have eaten deep into its fabric and have made nation-building an uphill task. So, rather than devoting resources and much attention to this sort of bill, why have our senators not look into issues that are more salient, and will have huge impact on the masses that have been left to wallow in penury - Nigeria and her citizens deserve better from these individuals.

Furthermore, the politicians canvassing for the implementation of this bill need to be reminded that Nigeria is under a democratic rule and freedom of speech is one of the key features of this system of government - do they need to reminded of the basics that it is a people-centric system of government? The bill in question would have been passed unopposed in nations like China and North Korea but it is important to note that in these countries, no one is exempted from facing the full wrath of the law when found wanting; corrupt politicians and erring ‘ordinary‘ citizens have been brought to book. Can the same be said about the Nigerian justice system?

That said, the social media bill that has been causing a stir over the past few months is filled with some ambiguities that cannot be overlooked. It is good to note that there is a public hearing on the bill in prospect and we do hope that the contributions of well-meaning Nigerians will be respected by the powers that be. Beyond this, however, Nigerians are presently signing a petition calling for the cancellation of the bill on change.org. Meanwhile, it is yet of utmost importance that we present ourselves as responsible and honourable citizens that share or state information on social media ‘without adding any spice to it‘ - the truth will eventually prevail. And, those holding public offices [politicians most especially] must always be mindful of the fact that they owe the citizens of this nation a great of accountability and take actions that would preserve and advance democratic rule.

Twenty-three people were killed and more than 130 injured when a fire broke out after a gas tanker exploded while unloading at a ceramics factory in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on Tuesday, the government said.

The blast at a factory in a northern suburb was so powerful it blew the tanker into a nearby lot, according to witnesses and a senior civil defence official.

Video footage showed people running and shouting for help at the site of the accident.
Flames and smoke billowed from the factory as volunteers and security forces tried to put out the fire.

The fire completely destroyed the factory, a government statement said.

I dont understand what happened, I heard a blast and ran.

One man in a galabeya (a long flowing garment) was running behind me, he suffered a serious injury and I was also injured in my leg, said William, a factory employee.

I pulled out 14 bodies which were completely burnt, said Hussein Omar, a volunteer at the scene.
The government called on citizens to donate blood to treat the wounded.

Preliminary observations indicate a lack of necessary safety measures and equipment at the factory, in addition to random storage of flammable materials, the government statement said.

The casualties included employees of various nationalities, among them some from Asian countries, medical sources said.

Those injured were transferred to hospitals in the capital. Some were in critical condition, a local police chief said.

Source: NAN

By Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma

Access Bank Plc has unveiled series of exciting rewards for its customers with a campaign tagged More Xtravaganza, ahead of the Yuletide celebration.

Mr Victor Etuokwu, the banks Executive Director, Retail Banking, said in Lagos on Tuesday that the campaign, which had started on Nov. 21, would run till Dec. 31.

Etuokwu said that the More Xtravaganza campaign was launched to appreciate loyal customers.

Access Bank is passionate about its customers and everything we do is centred around giving them more.

This season, we have decided to launch this campaign to end the year on a high note in celebration of our customers.

We appreciate them for their loyalty and support and this is our own way of saying thank you to them, he said.

Etuokwu said that the campaign demonstrates its promise to provide customers with the best banking products and services whilst rewarding them for banking with us.

He said that the bank would be rewarding 50 active and inactive Diamond Business Advantage customers with one-month free advert broadcast and production for signing up to the Ebony Life Access to Market package.

Mr Robert Giles, Access Bank Head, Insights and capabilities, said that the bank had remained in business because of customers patronage.

Customers are the reason the bank is in business and they will always come first in our products, processes and services.

To show appreciation for their patronage, we are going to feature three different DiamondXtra draws; Senior citizens draw, Womens draw and the National quarterly draw this December.

We will reward 19 senior citizens who are 50 years old and above, 10 Women in which one of them will win a shopping allowance of N100,000 per month for one year and nine others will win N300,000 each, he said.

Giles said that a total of 1,016 lucky customers would emerge winners from the quarterly draw.

Adaeze Umeh, the banks Head, Consumer Banking, said that a lot of customers would be rewarded in the Yuletide season.

In the spirit of this Yuletide season, we will be rewarding our first 100 premium savers with daily airtime when they maintain their account balances for 30days.

We are also going to reward the first 200 transfers on the mobile app with airtime.

XclusivePlus customers who refer three new customers of their subscriber type will win one monthly/yearly plan.

This reward will be for the first 200 customers. We will also reward our Early Savers with 20% bonus of their 13th savings for maintaining consistent savings over 12-month period, Adaeze said. (NAN)

Source: NAN

By Deji Abdulwahab

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has called on the President Muhammadu Buhari led-government to reduce cost of governance by abolishing bicameral legislature to adopt unicameral assembly.

He said salaries of lawmakers were described as highest pay in the world.

The National Chairman of the party, Malam Falalu Bello, made the call on Tuesday at the maiden edition of PRP Media Dialogue in Abuja.

Bello said that the country would grow if the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration could reduce the cost of governance to revamp economy, tackle insecurity and corruption.

If the Nation is to grow, this can be achieved by reducing the cost of the legislature to the economy which is one of highest, if not the highest, in the world by reducing its budget to no more than half.

Government should abolish the bicameral legislature and make it unicameral as done by sensible and sensitive nations in recent history.

Nigeria is a poor nation and cannot afford a bicameral assembly paying itself so handsomely without any checks on its expenditures.

We would be with the president, if he initiates a serious downward review of the costs of the National Assembly to the nation,the partys chairman said.

He said that the Federal Government should reduce expenditures at the executive arm, beginning with the highest level of government, especially the presidency.

We urge President Muhammadu Buhari to have the courage of looking into and implementing in whole or in part the Oronsanye Report as a means of reducing the executive cost of governance in Nigeria, he said.(NAN)

Source: NAN

By Sumaila Ogbaje

President Muhammadu Buhari, has inaugurated the first set of combat and light vehicles manufactured at the Nigerian Army Command Engineering Depot in partnership with Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) in Kaduna.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the vehicles were unveiled at the opening of the 2019 Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference on Tuesday in Kaduna.

The theme of the conference is, Application of the Cutting Edge of the Nigerian Army in Tackling Contemporary Security Challenges.

The vehicles, which include five Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) nicknamed, Ezugwu MRAP and a number of infantry patrol vehicles were manufactured by Nigerian army engineers and their indigenous partners.

While commending the innovative prowess of the army, Buhari said that it was encouraging to note that the army as a critical element of national power was in involved in innovative and inventive ventures.

He said that working for a sustainable and secured environment was a major priority for his administration.

The President commended the collaborative effort of the Command Engineering Depot with relevant indigenous organisations to promote local content towards the development of the military industrial complex.

I am glad with the production of Ezugwu MRAP which I will unveil shortly with other infantry patrol vehicles that were earlier produced as testimony that our efforts are yielding positive results.

There is no doubt that a lot has been achieved by the army since my assumption of office as the president and commander in chief of the Armed Forces, he said.

Buhari said that his administration had continued to provide resources to enable the army carry out projects with the sole aim of modernising it and be better positioned to perform its constitutional roles.

The Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (Rtd), said the government was aware of the needs of the army to be able to perform its constitutional roles effectively.

Magashi said that the conference was to appraise and evaluate the operational activities of the army during the years to enable them identify areas of improvement.

He assured that the government would continue to prioritise the welfare of the military personnel who have sacrificed their lives to defend the country.

Magashi commended the president for his commitment to enhancing the capacity of the armed forces.

Earlier, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, said that the vehicles were innovative and inventive products of Nigerian armys research and development of its military industrial complex.

Buratai disclosed that the Ezugwu MRAP was an entirely indigenous production effort from start to finish by the team of Nigerian army engineers and their partners.

He said that the Ezugwu MRAP was versatile in the counter insurgency and other military operations in the country, adding that MRAP would pose great threat to adversaries.

According to him, the vehicles have been tested in the various theatre of operations against Boko Haram insurgents as well as Birnin Gwari area against bandits.

We are delighted to showcase to Mr President our innovative and inventive products so far achieved through robust research and development efforts drives through building our own military industrial complex.

We are indeed honoured and delighted to have you in our midst to unveil the Ezugwu MRAP which is an entirely indigenous production effort from start to finish.

We are also delighted for the commissioning of the upgraded 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital.

The hospital has been upgraded to the UN Ultramodern Level 4 hospital in Nigeria that will cater for the medical needs of our troops and other citizens alike.

These two projects will no doubt save significant foreign exchange of the country which could be used for other developmental purposes, he said.

NAN reports that President Buhari had inaugurated the newly upgraded 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna, which was expanded and equipped with modern facilities.(NAN)

Source: NAN